More Than Love
by wade wells
Summary: What is love? "Love is never sure, but it trusts, with a faith that is sweet and pure." S.E. Thompson. My gift to Ms. Harmony Winters.


This story is a gift to my friend Harmony Winters. This was her idea and her plot. I just put it into words. Thank you Harm for being such a great friend to not only me but to many others! This short is dedicated to you!!

Thank you so much Kristina Marie and Mertz for editing this fic!

Large amounts of gift wrapping paper lie scattered around the large sofa of the rec room floor. Ribbons and bows of all colors rest on top of the overly sized couch making a contrast against the dark blue fabric and light colored pillows. The once large two-tier German chocolate cake with shaved chocolate and strawberries on top, reduced to miniscule and pathetic remains would not go to waste as Hunk would finish it the next evening.

Most of the empty champagne bottles sat on top of the table, next to the half eaten cake. A multitude of corks, formerly belonging to the bottles, scattered around the table; evidence that everyone enjoyed themselves.

The maids pulled the "Happy Birthday" sign from the ceiling as others headed to the table to pick up the plates and other used utensils from the festivities.

Keith looked around the room; his twenty fifth birthday had come and gone like a wisp of wind on a light autumn day. Allura had wanted to throw him a huge party and had begun planning to invite half the Garrison along with some of his friends from the academy. Keith begged her to stop and told her he would much prefer spending his birthday with his friends and family. Little did he know that when he stated those words she would make it point to invite ALL of his friends and family.

To his surprise, when he walked into the room he found everyone; not only the members of his team, but also Sven, Romelle, and the entire Vehicle Voltron team including Colonel Hawkins.

"When you mentioned friends and family, I made it a point to include all of us!" She told him excitedly when he had spoken to her earlier during the party.

He didn't think they would or even could actually make it. Since Vehicle Voltron protected the other half of the Galaxy from the Drules, seldom did the two groups spend time with one another. But when he saw Jeff, Lisa, Ginger, Crick, Rocky and the rest of the team, he couldn't have felt any happier.

Looking at the now empty room in front of him, he felt immensely happy and blessed. From losing every one of his family members as a child, he found that as an adult, he had earned double of everything he had lost. He felt like Job. He must have done something good in life to deserve such blessings.

Allura suddenly interrupted her thoughts when she walked up next to him, "Keith, go to bed. I can finish cleaning everything along with these ladies."

He shook his head, "I'm still too wired to rest. Besides, I can help."

"It's your birthday. You shouldn't have to clean up after your own party!" She smiled at him. Then she tilted her head slightly to the left, "Did you enjoy it?"

He immediately hugged her, "Enjoyed it? Allura, I absolutely loved it!" He exclaimed as he gave her a light kiss on the lips.

She giggled in delight, "I'm so glad, I didn't think Jeff and the gang would make it on time. Too bad they have to leave tomorrow afternoon."

"At least we can spend some time with them before they go." He reassured her. "After tomorrow, we won't see them for a couple of months again." He assured her in a sad way, "I'm so glad that they came. Thank you for today."

"Any time." She answered him and kissed him a little deeper now.

Suddenly, they both heard someone clearing their throat, "Interrupting something, I assume?"

Lance asked with a sly smile.

They both turned and faced their best friend with equal, but bright smiles, "Hey Lance," Keith started, "I thought you'd be in bed by now."

"I should say the same thing about you." Lance replied, walking closer.

"I'm helping Allura pick up."

"Yes," Allura offered, "Nanny did such a fantastic job, but she isn't as strong as she claims most of the time. She looked tired, so I ordered her to bed and told her that I'd clean and put everything in place by the time she woke up tomorrow morning. And with that said, I better check the kitchen to make sure the girls do exactly what she wants." She gave a quick peck to both men on their cheeks and set off to the kitchens. "Don't stay up too long, we still have lion practice tomorrow morning!" they heard her yell as she walked out of the room.

"Now, she's giving the orders?" Lance laughed.

"You better believe it!" Keith answered with a chuckle. "Is anything wrong? You told me earlier you wanted to talk to me, but with everyone here…"

"No I understand." Lance cut him, "Nothing to worry about. I…I just didn't have a chance to give you your birthday present earlier and I wanted to give it to you now." Lance told him as he took out a box from the pocket of his jacket and handed it to Keith, "Happy birthday."

Keith took the box and looked at him curiously.

"I…I didn't have time to wrap it." Lance shyly mentioned, "Besides, I'm not good at wrapping things. You know I suck at bows, ribbons and all that shit."

Keith laughed at that remark, "You and me both."

"Open it," Lance gently demanded.

Keith opened the box and his eyes widened as his smiled faded by what he saw, "Lance," he shook his head, "I…I can't take this."

"You can and you will."

Keith shook his head again, "No, this belongs to you. To give to your kids one day, this is your proof of your legacy, which you've become part of."

"I am who I am because of _you_. I'm alive because of _you._ These belong to _you_."

"But your pilot's wings…"

"Come and sit," Lance ordered. Both men took a seat next to each other on the couch. Lance faced Keith, "I know how you lost yours five years ago." Even as he sat down, Keith couldn't take his eyes off the gold plated finish pin. The wings spread apart high and proud as if flying in the air, in the middle, stood the shield with stars and stripes and the Galaxy Garrison Insignia. "And what they meant to you."

"Lance I know this means as much, maybe more to you than they did to me. I just don't feel right taking it."

"You know you will always mean more than anything or anyone else." Lance immediately told him, taking his hand gently. Keith didn't flinch, he let his friend speak, "Five years ago, when all of us sat in that dark, dingy, and frightening hell hole of the dungeon at Doom, I experienced a feeling that I never really felt before. I had given up, I had accepted my fate. I relinquished any thoughts of hope and only allowed despair to enter me. Keith, I had convinced myself that we would all die in there. But you hadn't. You thought through every possibility for an escape. You never lost hope. I still see that in you, even when things look grim. It's why we are all still here today."

At a loss for words, Keith just looked at his friend. But Lance had only just begun.

"Even when I fought back with you and countered every decision you made, you still found time to explain your reasoning. I still don't know how you do that." Lance rolled his eyes as Keith laughed.

"I don't know either." He answered. "But, back then, our survival took a higher value than my wings."

"That's why you used them to rip open the circuitry doors to the ships bay." Lance reminded him meeting those onyx eyes that always mesmerized him.

"We needed some type of metal to rip the circuits. It was the only thing I could find to use." Keith countered.

"It hurt you that you lost them."

"Some things are worth sacrificing for the life of others."

Lance nodded, "Once safe on the ship, away from Doom territory, I noticed how you touched your heart; the area where you pinned your wings."

Keith shook his head in disbelief, "You remember that! I never thought anyone of you noticed. I never _meant _for anyone to notice."

"I did."

Sighing, Keith tried to convince his best friend otherwise, "Lance, please…" giving Lance the box back.

"I'm not going to take no for an answer!" Lance replied as he closed the box and shoved it back in his friend's hand. "Keith, it's my gift to you. Don't take it away from me, happy, happy birthday, buddy."

Recognizing his attempts as futile, he took the box and embraced his best friend in his arms, "Thank you my friend. It's the nicest gift I've ever received."

Lance smiled. His eyes watered a bit, but he refused to cry over his Captain. Keith had made his choice and Lance would honor it. Besides, at least he had Keith's friendship and to him that symbolized a treasure he could never dispose of.

"You know that I love you, right?" Lance couldn't refrain himself from asking. He knew the answer, but still felt he had to let him know.

"I know." His friend answered.

"And that will never end." He told him. For a moment not wanting to let him go, but he knew better and gently pulled back.

"I know," Keith offered a sad smile when he answered him, "I love you too…always my friend."

Standing up, Lance cleared his throat, "Well, I better go to bed. If Allura sees me here, she'll kill you for keeping me awake!"

"Me?"

"Better you than me buddy!" Lance answered as he turned around and walked out without another word.

After he left, Keith opened the box and stared at the wings. He didn't even notice the maids entering the room and quickly picking up the rest of the articles from the table, until another maid politely asked him to move a bit so she could pick up the wrapping paper from the floor while another cleaned the couch.

After the maids left, alone with his thoughts, Keith traveled back in his mind remembering the first time his best friend confessed his love for him. He could still remember the agony in his face when he told him that his love belonged solely to Allura.

Afraid to lose Lance, he tried everything he could to convince him to stay on Arus, that he had a special place in his heart and it solely belong to him as his best friend and brother.

Suddenly someone embraced Keith from behind, "He's still in love with you." She whispered in his ear.

"I know." Keith answered with a sigh, "I love him too Allura. With all my heart…but not the way he wishes me to."

She released her hold on him as he turned around to face her, "I think that as long as he knows you love him in some way, he's happy."

"I do. I wouldn't know what to do without him. He's more than my best friend. He's the brother I never had. I'm so lucky to have him. I just hope he finds someone who will appreciate all the love he can give."

"He will sweetheart." She answered him, caressing his cheek. "Who couldn't love our Lance?" She lightly giggled.

He laughed as well, "Very true. Who wouldn't love our Lance?" He repeated with a smile. "We should go to bed, tomorrow another day awaits us."

She nodded, "Happy Birthday my love." Her kiss, so full of love, made him shiver. She always made him shiver. He had always loved her and that would never end.

"Let's go to bed?" She teased him.

He simply smiled at her, took her hand and led her out of the rec room after turning off the lights.


End file.
